Issue of poor quality, quantity of drinking water supply reverberates in Corporation council meet

Thoothukudi Corporation council on Wednesday passed a resolution on naming the multi-level vehicle parking area and the government transport workshop after the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Thoothukudi Corporation council on Wednesday passed a resolution on naming the multi-level vehicle parking area and the government transport workshop after the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

 As Mayor P. Jegan placed these proposals before the council in the presence of Commissioner S. Dinesh Kumar, the meeting passed them without any opposition. “Since Karunanidhi had sanctioned a good number of development schemes for Thoothukudi district, these two projects should be named after him. The Corporation’s resolution will be forwarded to the government to formally name these two schemes after Karunanidhi,” Mr. Jegan said.

 When the meeting started, most of the councilors, including the members of the ruling DMK, urged him to discuss the strategies to improve the distribution of drinking water to the residents and complained that the drinking water being supplied to the public now was very poor in taste.

Mr. Jegan said the flow of water in the Tamirabharani was very thin and hence the taste of the water had changed a lot.

 “When the flow of water in the perennial river improves back to normal, the quality and quantity of water being supplied to the residents will improve,” Mr. Jegan said.

 A section of the members suggested that the coastal town, which was depending on the Tamirabharani for its drinking water needs for decades, should think of establishing desalination plant for supplying drinking water to the residents. The officials replied that the present infrastructure created within Thoothukudi Corporation would ensure decent supply of drinking water till 2030. “However, we’re also prepared to construct desalination plant in Thoothukudi to address this issue if the government favours the idea,” they said.

The members also raised the electrocution of a greens vendor even as he was selling the leafy plants to his customers near the Anna Statue due to the electricity passing in the grill erected around the statue. “Since the young vendor has been electrocuted due to the poor maintenance of the power supply given to Anna Statue, the Corporation should consider giving compensation to the family of the deceased,” said the members. However, no decision was taken in this connection.